Key occasions
Kristen Faulkner, a former rower and funding banker (and present Olympic street race champion) who solely took up biking in 2017 when she began driving round Central Park, is out on the course.
No! Van Dijk finishes only one second out from compatriot Adegeest, in a time of 7min31secs. The FDJ–Suez rider retains the lead, with Van Dijk in second.
Ellen van Dijk, of Lidl–Trek, is correct on time with Adegeest! The Dutch rider goes flat out as she approaches the ultimate flip. That is going to be tight! Will we now have a brand new chief?
Chloé Dygert, the pre-stage favorite right here, has been chatting with the cameras about her ways for this time trial:
All gasoline. From the beginning. Throw up on the end.
French champion Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Human Powered Well being) finishes in sixth place as issues stand, 18 seconds adrift of our chief Adegeest.
Grace Brown speaks to the cameras:
Actually fairly disappointing that I can’t make it via 6.3kms and not using a puncture. I wanted to maintain going and respect the race. It simply would have been good to complete on the golden bike. It’s been nice driving within the Netherlands, there’s so many individuals right here, however I’ve to say I used to be simply specializing in the course. All of the corners are fairly quick, although, it’s not difficult.
Brown finishes simply 19 seconds off the chief, Adegeest, in a time of 7min49secs. Outstanding actually. She certainly can be our new chief if not for that puncture. I estimate it price her round 30 seconds in time.
Puncture for Grace Brown, the Olympic time trial champion!
Catastrophe for the Australian! Brown places her hand up signalling to her FDJ–Suez staff that she wants to alter her bike. She’s off the golden bike, and after a quick stoppage, she units off once more on the brand new bike. That could be a expensive incident although, though fully not her fault in fact!
Lizzie Deignan, 2015 world street race champion, completed with a time of 7min 54secs, 24 seconds off the tempo of our chief Adegeest. I loved this piece we did earlier than the Olympics on the British rider.
We must always point out that the street floor is kind of bumpy in Rotterdam, significantly as there are such a lot of tram strains to go over.
Right here comes Grace Brown, the Olympic time trial champion. She was enjoying her probabilities down in pre-stage interviews, suggesting that this course was virtually too quick for her (favouring among the strongest sprinters) however she is definitely one of many favourites right here and will certainly be going for a stage win right here.
Australia’s Neve Bradbury, of Canyon–SRAM, has given an fascinating interview after posting her personal time of 8min 16secs. She stated that she wasn’t driving on “pure vibes”, alluding to the truth that most riders aren’t measuring their energy, mainly simply going full throttle as a result of it’s such a brief course.
Bradbury additionally talked about that there was gravel on one of many corners, so possibly one thing to be careful for within the remaining riders. Thus far, fortunately, there have been no crashes on this third stage.
Given the 6.3km distance, we’re clearly not going to see large gaps within the GC standings. Most will try to tuck in, not empty the legs and keep in competition.
The common pace of the riders spherical this course is a contact over 50km/hr, which is roughly the pace of a tiger sprinting at full pelt. Undecided which of these is extra relatable. However all it is advisable know is: the riders and the tigers can shift it.
Loes Adegeest, of FDJ–Suez, is our new chief, bringing the time to beat to 7min30secs.
Elena Pirrone, the 21-year-old Roland rider, has posted the quickest time to this point: 7min 44secs.
There are many candidates for the stage win. Listed below are the 11 nationwide time trial champions collaborating this afternoon in Rotterdam.
Riejanne Markus (Netherlands)
Kimberley Le Court docket (Mauritius)
Katrine Aalerud (Norway)
Anniina Ahtosalo (Finland)
Grace Brown (Australia)
Christine Majerus (Luxembourg)
Audrey Cordon-Ragot (France)
Emma Norsgaard (Denmark)
Margarita Misyurina (Uzbekistan)
Antri Christoforou (Cyprus)
Anna Henderson (Nice Britain)
Listed below are my three picks for stage three. It received’t shock you that I’ve picked the highest three from the Olympic podium, though in a barely completely different order.
Chloe Dygert: received an Olympic gold medal on the monitor. She crashed on the Olympic time trial and nonetheless got here away with a bronze medal. Dygert might be the favorite right here.
Grace Brown: the Olympic time trial champion is sporting a gold helmet and a gold bike right here. “It’s not that technical, many of the corners are fairly extensive”, says the Australian. Nicely that put my preview as a substitute.
Anna Henderson: final 12 months within the World Championships in Glasgow, British rider Henderson simply missed out on a podium end within the time trial however received silver within the time trial on the Olympics, though medal was most likely helped by Dygert’s crash.
Coles-Lyster (Roland), our first rider, has completed with a time of 8min3secs. I’m undecided that could be a significantly robust time. We will count on the leaders to get in direction of the seven-minute mark.
As I discussed earlier than, this will probably be an enormous check for the riders’ legs, regardless of each stage two and three being comparatively quick. However there are additionally three very technical sections to this time trial: the 180 diploma about flip round a roundabout and attacking the 2 bridges, Erasmusbrug and Willemsbrug, which each require sharp turns as you enter and exit.
Stage three: the time trial begins!
Maggie Coles-Lyster, of DNA Professional Biking, is the primary rider off the ramp!
Sorry to say that not like Roseman-Gannon and Pate, Dilyxine Miermont has been compelled to give up this 12 months’s race, following a crash of her personal earlier at the moment on stage two.
On to stage three, then. Listed below are a few good illustrations of what to anticipate. It’s a brilliant quick course at simply 6.3km, so the tempo goes to be intense.
There was a nasty crash throughout stage two within the ultimate 3km, with Australian pair Ruby Roseman-Gannon and Amber Pate each coming off within the peloton, which meant a number of riders round them missed out on the dash end. Delighted to say that each Roseman-Gannon and Pate are OK and match sufficient to compete on this afternoon’s time trial.
Hi there everybody (once more). Earlier than we build-up to the time trial, which is because of begin within the subsequent couple of minutes, let’s recap what went on with stage two earlier at the moment, with Charlotte Kool going back-to-back with stage victories.
Proper, that’s all accomplished for stage two. Congratulations to Charlotte Kool, who has received each levels to this point. Certainly she couldn’t make it a hat-trick on this afternoon’s time trial stage three?
I’ll be again right here round 2pm BST, 3pm native time for the time trial. Do be a part of me for extra reside updates. Till then!
Consideration turns now to stage three, which comes later at the moment at round 2.10pm BST. It’s a time trial round Rotterdam, simply 6.3km lengthy, so not too far off a flat out dash. It’s primarily alongside the principle boulevards within the metropolis, with two technical sections throughout two bridges, Erasmusbrug and Willemsbrug. We predict every rider to take between seven and eight minutes to finish it.
Might be actually fascinating to see how the riders get better from this morning’s stage two, and put together for stage three. I’m wondering if the time trial may favour among the monitor cyclists we noticed on the Olympics, as they’re used to racing greater than as soon as in a day. Be careful for Lily Williams, who received gold within the staff pursuit for the USA in Paris. Might we additionally see Christian Faulkner make an impression on stage three after her Olympic street race triumph?
Our chief in yellow, Charlotte Kool, is simply warming down after stage two. Presumably she goes to go and lie down first.
Listed below are highlights of the ultimate kilometre. That kick from Kool on the very finish was particular.
Listed below are the GC standings
Kool leads the way in which in yellow, having received each levels to this point. Demi Vollering is 20 seconds off the tempo, in twenty fourth place.
Provisional prime 5 on stage two
1. Charlotte Kool (dsm-firmenich PostNL)
2. Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime)
3. Marianne Vos (Visma|Lease a Bike)
4. Lotta Henttala (EF-Oatly-Cannondale)
5. Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek)
Total favorite Demi Vollering, SD Worx–Protime teammate of Wiebes, additionally speaks:
It was actually aggravating, actually quick. It’s unhappy that we didn’t win, it could have been good if Lorena [Wiebes] received at the moment, possibly she went a bit early. I feel [finishing second] has made her much more motivated for the time trial.
Kool’s English dsm–firmenich PostNL teammate, Pfeiffer Georgi, additionally spoke to the cameras:
I feel all of us had confidence [in Kool]. She’s simply so quick. We knew it was going to be loopy. It was much more technical than yesterday, with all of the street furnishings. We didn’t wish to be in entrance, we wished to come back from behind with pace.
Kool: ‘Desires come true fairly quick as of late’
Kool speaks to the cameras after her stage two win:
We have been a bit far, however I attempted to remain calm. I launched my dash, and it was sufficient. We have been in management the entire day. It was a busy course, however I prefer it. Desires come true fairly quick as of late. First yesterday [in the yellow jersey], now at the moment. I suppose I’m stronger than ever, I didn’t count on this
Kool definitely appeared like she had extra within the legs there. Wiebes was on the Olympics, whereas Kool has chosen to give attention to the TdF, and I’m wondering if that has performed an element right here. Wiebes’s preparations – journey, vitamin, coaching, her psychological prep – haven’t been splendid going into this. The identical might be stated for Vos.
Woooooooooow. I’m watching a replay of that dash end again, and Kool timed that to absolute perfection. Wiebes bought an incredible lead out from her SD Worx–Protime teammates, however Kool had an enormous burst of acceleration with round 100 metres to go, and the momentum noticed her cross her compatriot with just some metres to go.
Charlotte Kool wins stage two after a dramatic dash!
Vos is among the many riders on the entrance, however Charlotte Kool, in yellow, comes from nowhere (two or three riders again) and pips Wiebes to the road, including to her stage one victory! Wow!
We’re into the dash end! Charlotte Kool and Lorena Wiebes are there, with Vos additionally there!
Big crash on a bridge with 3km to go!
Australia’s Amber Pate goes down close to the entrance and a big part of the peloton is compelled to cease on such a slender bridge. Catastrophe! Ruby Roseman-Gannon additionally concerned. Solely a portion of riders of the entrance escaped that!
An enormous proper flip, as riders decelerate from 62km/hr to cross a bridge. We’re into the Rotterdam metropolis centre now. Stage favourites Charlotte Kool and Lorena Wiebes are nicely positioned, simply 3km to go.
Clearly. It was a very good effort, however in the end De Keersmaeker wasn’t in a position to maintain off the peloton.
I actually can’t categorical sufficient how flat this stage is, hardly stunning within the Netherlands. Marianne Vos is on residence turf, the Dutch celebrity is nicely positioned about 10 riders again from the entrance. She barely misjudged yesterday’s end into the Hague. “Fifth just isn’t actually satisfying but it surely’s a bunch dash so something can occur,” stated Vos, earlier than agreeing that positioning was the issue. “I used to be a bit too far again within the ultimate kilometre, so I couldn’t dash for the win. I nonetheless did every little thing I may, however Kool turned out to be the quickest at the moment.”
The riders are at the moment zooming alongside at round 45km/hr. Simply six kilometres to go.
De Keersmaeker is caught!
The peloton eats up the street and swallows De Keersmaeker. Just below 10km to go!
It’s an enormous peloton of 147 riders, however there’s a honest quantity of street furnishings – roundabouts, slender funnels of street, bridges because the cyclists make their means into Rotterdam. That signifies that the peloton does elongate considerably, which may play a giant half within the bunch end.
Talking of the peloton, they’re closing on our stage two chief, Audrey De Keersmaeker, whose lead is now down to fifteen seconds with just below 12m left.
In the present day, Nikola Noskova (Cofidis Girls Workforce), Yanina Kuskova (Tashkent Metropolis Girls Skilled Biking Workforce) and Mieke Docx (Lotto Dstny Girls) have been concerned in a crash, whereas Dilyxine Miermont (St Michel – Mavic – Auber93 WE) and Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez) additionally had a collision, though the latter pair made it again into the peloton.
There have been extra crashes at the moment after the drama of yesterday. A crash within the impartial zone on stage one led to the British rider Natalie Grinczer falling after which abandoning. The Tashkent Metropolis Girls’s staff had a torrid first day and misplaced 4 of their seven riders.
Right here is the stage one report from Monday.
There are some large names lacking right here: Lotte Kopecky, who raced within the ultimate day of competitors on Sunday within the Olympic velodrome and was second total to her SD Worx Protime teammate Demi Vollering in final 12 months’s Tour de France Femmes, was a type of who prioritised the Olympics. Elisa Longo Borghini, winner of the ladies’s Giro d’Italia, has additionally pulled out due to the painful aftermath of a latest crash whereas out coaching.
Vollering stays the general favorite once more this 12 months.
Preamble
It’s a wild two parter at the moment on the Tour de France Femmes: first up is the stage two run from Dordrecht to Rotterdam, a 69.7km race alongside the flat, with a dash end. There’s round 18km left of that, so we’ll dive straight into that now.
Audrey De Keersmaeker is out in entrance on her personal, and has round a 28 second lead on the remainder of the peloton. Undecided she goes to carry onto that, however she is going to certainly get the combative rider of the day award.
The stage-three time trial will even happen later: a 6.3km trip round Rotterdam. However we’ll come to that later.